Coles County, Illinois
Coles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 53,873, which is an increase of 1.3% from 53,196 in 2000. Its county seat is Charleston, which is also the home of Eastern Illinois University. The county is part of the Charleston–Mattoon Micropolitan Statistical Area. Mattoon is famous for the "original" Burger King owned by the Hootses which is not the same as the Burger King chain. With the fact that the Hootses can only use their "Burger King" name in the Mattoon area and that the Burger King chain can use the name in the United States excluding the Mattoon area after a 1968 trademark lawsuit, there is a 20 mile radius centering the Hootses' Burger King, and the chain cannot have one within the radius. As such, no Burger Kings from the chain are in the county. History Coles County was organized on December 25, 1830 out of Clark and Edgar counties. It was named after Edward Coles, the second governor of Illinois from 1822 to 1826. File:Coles_County_Illinois_1830.png|Coles County from the time of its creation to 1843 File:Coles County Illinois 1843.png|Coles County between 1843 and 1859 File:Coles County Illinois 1859.png|Coles County reduced to its current size in 1859 by the creation of Douglas County Folklore Coles County is home to several well-known legends and folktales, including the Mad Gasser of Mattoon and the ghost of Mary Hawkins at Pemberton Hall. Michael Kleen has documented many of these tales, including the "witch's grave" of St. Omer Cemetery and story of "Rag Doll Cemetery," in his book Tales of Coles County, Illinois. The legend of "Rag Doll Cemetery" formed the basis of the independent film "Rag Doll," which was filmed primarily in and around Mattoon, Illinois in 2010. Additionally, the novel "A Family Possessed" by L. W. Stevenson is based on poltergeist activity experienced by a rural family living in Coles County in the 1980s. Ashmore Estates has long been a part of local folklore. Originally the almshouse at the Coles County Poor Farm, it is now a haunted attraction and a place of interest for paranormal investigators. Geography According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.65%) is land and (or 0.35%) is water. Adjacent counties *Douglas County - north *Edgar County - northeast *Clark County - southeast *Cumberland County - south *Shelby County - southwest *Moultrie County - west Major highways * Interstate 57 * US Route 45 * Illinois Route 16 * Illinois Route 49 * Illinois Route 121 * Illinois Route 130 * Illinois Route 133 Townships Coles County is divided into these twelve townships: Settlements Cities *Charleston *Mattoon Villages *Ashmore *Humboldt *Lerna *Oakland Demographics ]] 2012 Estimate }} As of the census of 2000, there were 53,196 people, 21,043 households, and 12,078 families residing in the county. The population density was 105 people per square mile (40/km²). There were 22,768 housing units at an average density of 45 per square mile (17/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.37% White, 2.28% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. 1.39% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 25.4% were of German, 17.8% American, 12.6% English and 12.3% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.8% spoke English and 1.8% Spanish as their first language. There were 21,043 households out of which 26.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.20% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.60% were non-families. 31.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.91. In the county the population was spread out with 19.70% under the age of 18, 23.50% from 18 to 24, 23.80% from 25 to 44, 19.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 91.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.10 males. The median income for a household in the county was $32,286, and the median income for a family was $45,708. Males had a median income of $32,831 versus $21,923 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,370. About 7.50% of families and 17.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.40% of those under age 18 and 9.30% of those age 65 or over. Climate and weather }} In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Charleston have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in January to in July. See also *National Register of Historic Places listings in Coles County, Illinois Notes References * United States Census Bureau 2007 TIGER/Line Shapefiles * * United States National Atlas External links *Coles County Online Community *Official Coles County website *Tales of Coles County, Illinois *Illinois State Archives *Coles County Entertainment, Illinois Category:Coles County, Illinois Category:1830 establishments in Illinois Category:Charleston–Mattoon micropolitan area Category:Counties of Illinois Category:Settlements established in 1830